0094 - Unadilla

So here we are in Unadilla, GA. It is the first time we've been able to use our RV timeshare membership to get a free stay since we signed up. Today's trek wasn't bad, it was only five hours, and tomorrow should only be around six.

We were (obviously) delayed a bit... don't know what it is about Florida, but it seems like all of our things break there. First the RV, then the truck. This time our radiator went kaputsky, so that prevented us from moving to the next campground and delayed us by a day. Then when they road tested it to verify that the new radiator worked, the water pump stopped working. Kiss another day goodbye. Our warranty company reminded us how much they suck. They look for the lowest price they can find, and that's what they pay. In this case they found a reconditioned radiator on the internet and authorized $539 for parts and labor when the shop quoted us $900 to replace it with a new one. I told them I want another dispute form, we were stranded and didn't have time to sit around waiting for something to be shipped... and what shop does business that way anyway? They don't order crap off the internet. It's stupid.

So we left this morning. Honestly, it was good that we did stay overnight at the campground. The blinds on the wall by the dining room table (where they replaced a wall panel) didn't stay up, our surge protector was missing (about $500), and the ring that protects our power cord from water (where it plugs into the RV) was also missing. Where these things went, we don't know. That's in addition to the fact that they removed our capture plate and we had to have them replace that and fabricate another piece of that that was missing. They replaced everything and fixed it, but we would have been supremely pissed had we left the park and then realized it. I guess it boils down to pride in workmanship and responsibility... once again it is an indicator of how lacking that is these days. And we did get two free nights in the park, so two of our three nights didn't cost us anything, just the one night we stayed in the hotel. They would have let us stay in the parking lot, but there were no hookups and the park had already closed so they couldn't pull us in that night.

Tomorrow we should be in Tennessee. Home. I look forward to seeing our friends, touring some houses, seeing the leaves all pretty for fall, and cooler weather. We were supposed to meet up with one of my former co-workers from NASA, but the delay made that impossible. We can try again another time.

I am extremely concerned about the upcoming election. People keep saying that one term isn't enough to accomplish anything, so we need to give Obama more time. The fact that he still has supporters shocks and mystifies me. Is Romney the perfect replacement? No. Is he better? He has the potential to be. I would rather take a chance on the unknown than continue down this road. I posted this on Facebook and got a lot of positive support, but here and there someone always steps up and dissents. They're entitled to their opinion as long as they express it in a non-confrontational manner... I just don't agree.

"Obama was our first multicultural president. He, more than any president in the history of our nation, had the opportunity to bring us together. Instead we are more divided than ever. Any dissension is called racism; apparently freedom of speech and thought has become nothing more than a racial slur. How many other presidents have faced opposition? All of them. It has nothing to do with race but he needs somewhere to place the blame, so in addition to Bush and republicans, his supporters have added the citizens of the United States to the list. He should have embraced the fact that he is biracial and squelched the racial talk altogether. He is a great disappointment to me."

I hope whatever direction the election takes, our country survives it. Guess we'll find out soon.

0093 - Mountain Road, Take Me Home

We're leaving for Tennessee via Florida tomorrow morning. It's going to be a long trip, made even longer by the fact that both of us are a bit under the weather, coughing, with maybe a little bit of a fever. But it's good, I got some generic Mucinex and it's helping. And we get our house back, and we get to spend a little time in Tennesee. We should also be able to look at houses while we're there, which I'm really, really excited about.

We're planning to go for about twelve hours tomorrow. It's easier without the RV, we can drive for longer periods of time, move faster. Then that leaves about 5-6 hours the next day. We get to use our "free stays" for the first time, and I've already got three sites reserved for us. That makes it nice, saves us money.

We need to figure out where we'll be taking the RV from there... whether we should find a spot near the main office in Dallas, or take it on the road as Mike goes. Hell, we may just park in TN if he's going to be out east like he was this time around. It's all up in the air. I just want to be able to see him more than once every three weeks, but even that is better than three months at a time.

Anyway, it's bittersweet. I've kind of gotten used to seeing Brian's grumpy arse in the mornings. He's been a good roommate and guinea pig for my cooking experiments. And he was wonderful for taking us in, it really saved us. He probably won't read this, but it needed to be said, and I will tell him too... he just doesn't take thank you's so well. We have that in common. :)

I went a little crazy and started putting a business plan together for a food truck... what goes into the recipes... how much it costs... containers... population around us... competition... startup costs... I still don't know if I'm daydreaming or serious, but I'm having fun.